1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods for making housings for devices, especially to a method for making a housing having a mirror-like appearance.
2. Description of Related Art
In-Mold Label (IML) process is now a typical method used to produce housings of electronic devices. Housings formed by IML processes commonly include a transparent plastic film and optionally a pattern printed on the film, and a plastic substrate molded on the film and pattern. The ink used for printing is usually added into metal powder, e.g., aluminum powder, to give the printing a mirror-like appearance. However, during the printing process, the metal powder cannot be deposited quickly onto the surface of the film but must first be given time to settle in the ink to eventually coat the surface of the film. If the settling time is not waited, the desired mirror-like appearance of the printing will be of poor quality. However, to wait through the settling time wastes time and is costly, and, can therefore, be unsuitable for high-speed automatic production lines.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.